'The Australian actress who became one of London's most famous suffragists.
'Discover the most inspiring woman you've never heard of ...
'In 1909, a young Australian actress made headlines around the world when she took to the sky over London in an airship emblazoned with the slogan 'Votes for Women' and dropped leaflets over the city. Muriel Matters was dubbed 'that daring Australian girl', and the American media declared it to be the world's first aerial protest.
'Just months earlier, Muriel had become the first woman to make a speech in the British House of Commons, after chaining herself to a brass grille to protest against the segregation of women in the Parliament. She went on to become one of the most famous suffragists of her day, her skill as an orator drawing crowds in their thousands.
'So why is the remarkable Muriel Matters a relative unknown in both Britain and her home country? In Miss Muriel Matters, bestselling writer Robert Wainwright discovers an extraordinary woman full of intelligence, passion and bravery who fought for women's rights in a world far from equal.'
'A biography of Australian Muriel Matters is long overdue and Robert Wainwright’s book leaves us in no doubt that Miss Muriel does indeed matter. She was involved prominently in the British suffrage movement, flying in a hot air balloon to drop pamphlets over London and chaining herself to the grille in British parliament, becoming the first woman to give a speech, albeit uninvited, in the chamber. She also toured the English provinces in a horse-drawn caravan speaking to welcoming and unwelcoming audiences on behalf of the Women’s Freedom League. These spectacular exploits, however, are barely known in Australia, and her more serious achievements have been lost entirely. Muriel Matters, as Wainwright’s book reveals, was not just a suffrage activist. She also involved herself in child welfare, joining Sylvia Pankhurst at the Mothers’ Arms in the East End. Matters trained with Maria Montessori in Europe and was a pioneer of the Montessori education system in London.' (Introduction)
'A biography of Australian Muriel Matters is long overdue and Robert Wainwright’s book leaves us in no doubt that Miss Muriel does indeed matter. She was involved prominently in the British suffrage movement, flying in a hot air balloon to drop pamphlets over London and chaining herself to the grille in British parliament, becoming the first woman to give a speech, albeit uninvited, in the chamber. She also toured the English provinces in a horse-drawn caravan speaking to welcoming and unwelcoming audiences on behalf of the Women’s Freedom League. These spectacular exploits, however, are barely known in Australia, and her more serious achievements have been lost entirely. Muriel Matters, as Wainwright’s book reveals, was not just a suffrage activist. She also involved herself in child welfare, joining Sylvia Pankhurst at the Mothers’ Arms in the East End. Matters trained with Maria Montessori in Europe and was a pioneer of the Montessori education system in London.' (Introduction)
